The original German name is a compound of an adjective "schön" (meaning "beautiful") and a noun "berg" (meaning "hill"), later supplemented by a distinguishing adjective Mährisch (= Moravian). The Czech name evolved from a direct phonetic transcription of Schönberg – "Šenberk" (schön=šen; berg=berk), later "Šumberk" and finally "Šumperk". (There are many place names with similar origins across the Czech Republic, such as Šumbark or Žumberk.)

After World War II and the expulsion of Germans, there was a suggestion of giving the town a name with Czech origins. Suggestions included approximate translations such as Krásná Hora or Krásno nad Desnou and names unrelated to the original name, such as Svobodov, Velenov, and Jeseník (which was ultimately used for nearby Frývaldov). In the end the name of Šumperk remained unchanged.

Šumperk was probably established in the second half of the 13th century, by German settlers from Silesia. The town rapidly became prosperous due to rich deposits of precious metals and copper. Šumperk belonged to the Margrave of Moravia. The first written record of Šumperk is from 1281. This document refers to Jeneč of Šumperk, a town administrator who lived in a small fort on the outskirts. The fort has not been preserved. A Dominican monastery was founded in 1297.

A View of Šumperk, painting by N. Malizius from 1864

Šumperk was sold to the house of Páni z Lipé by Margrave Charles in 1340. The house of Páni z Lipé built Šumperk Castle (Czech: Šumperský hrad) and erected a defensive stone wall. Parts of both of these structures have been preserved. Šumperk was regained for the Margrave of Moravia in 1352.

In 1391, Jobst of Moravia granted Magdeburg Rights for Šumperk including "The Mile Right" (Czech: mílové právo; German: meilenrecht), guaranteeing a production and trade monopoly for the inhabitants of the town up to a distance of 1 German mile (about 7,5 km or 4,7 international miles) from town gates. Šumperk inhabitants were also granted permission for brewing.

During the Hussite Wars, the town was pawned to Catholic nobleman Beneš of Valdštejn, therefore Šumperk was opposed to the Hussite Reformation. The Hussite armies successfully completed their campaign in East Bohemia on 14 September 1424, and moved into North Moravia on 23 September. Šumperk was not the principal target of the Hussite warlords, whose primary goal was to conquer the Moravian Margraviate capital in Olomouc, but an attack on Šumperk was initiated by local lord Proček Bouzovský of Vildenberk, the owner of Loštice. The siege was short because the town gates were opened by Hussite sympathizers in Šumperk. Proček Bouzovský of Vildenberk ruled the town until 1445, when Šumperk was besieged by Catholics from Olomouc. Again, town gates were opened by disloyal inhabitants.

In a relatively peaceful 16th century, the town became prosperous, producing copper and fine clothing known across Europe. The prosperity enabled the town to buy itself out of serfdom, and it became directly subordinate to the Czech king in 1562. Šumperk Council built an aqueduct and canal system.

Vienna industrialist Johann Ernst Klapperoth established a factory producing corduroy in 1785. The number of factories in the town rose gradually through the 19th century. In 1800, the Wagner brothers established a linen factory. In 1818, Eduard Oberleithner opened a textile factory, which employed over 4900 people. A flax spinning mill was opened in 1842. By 1852, eleven major textile companies were operating in the town, producing in particular damask table and bed sets, silk clothing, and flax canvases.

Other local businesses included a brewery (opened 1861), a foundry (opened 1868), a factory producing earthenware (opened 1868), a mineral oil refinery (opened 1871), a textile machine factory (opened 1898), a factory producing iron goods (opened 1903), three large sawmills (in 1905), three brickworks (in 1905), two factories producing flying shuttles and bobbins (in 1905). Other businesses operating in the early 20th century were two leather factories, a factory processing fats, a cardboard factory, a slaughterhouse, a power plant and gasworks.

Czechoslovak soldiers occupy Šumperk in December 1918, photo taken the front of town hall

Sudeten Germans on the Austria-HungaryImperial Council did not accept the establishment of Czechoslovakia and declared sovereignty for German-inhabited Moravia, including Šumperk, under the name Sudetenland. One of these rebels was the Mayor of Šumperk, Gustav Oberleithner, who became vice-prime minister. The town was taken by the Czechoslovak army on 15 December 1918 without any shots being fired. The town council published an official order that people should not show any resistance. Gustav Oberleithner was not punished, as the international status of Czechoslovakia was complicated and Czechoslovak sovereignty over Šumperk was not clear from an international law perspective.

The town remained prosperous. The Pramet metal tool factory was established in 1931, and is still operating today.

The Czech population, previously small, grew substantially during the interwar period, causing ethnic tension. In 1910, 353 Czechs lived in the town, but by 1930, this number had increased to over 2,000, concentrated in the "Czech quarter" (Czech: Česká čtvrť).

After the Munich agreement, Šumperk District was occupied by the Wehrmacht, and was attached to the Third Reich as part of Sudetenland province. Most of the Czechs moved inland. Sixteen anti-Nazi rebels, of Czech and Sudeten German descent, were killed at Bratrušovská shooting range, between Šumperk and Bratrušov.

Although the Communist Party won the Šumperk election in 1946 with 34.7% of the vote, the council was ruled by a coalition of social democrats. After the coup d'état in 1948, all businesses, without exception, were confiscated by the state and united into large entities.

The North Moravian Theatre (Czech: Severomoravské Divadlo) opened in 1951, operating up to the present.

During the 1960s, extensive concrete residential tower blocks were erected on the outskirts of the town.

Šumperk was a significant centre of the textile industry throughout the Austria-Hungary, interwar and Communist eras. Communist rule nationalised every company in Šumperk and united them into a small number of large entities with low productivity. The Communist administrators also supported the development of metalworking industry in the town.

During the 1990s, after the Velvet Revolution, the textile industry was not able to compete with cheap imports from Asia and many textile companies went bankrupt, leaving large areas of brownfield land. The metalworking industry has survived the economic transformation relatively intact. As a result, Šumperk has a significant industrial sector. Pramet in a producer of industrial tools with worldwide distribution. The Epcos factory produces ferits for automotive purposes. Urdiamant processes synthetic diamonds into tools. Pars Nova renovates old trains and trams; its best known product is the RegioNova train.

Several companies in the town produce construction elements such as windows, windowsills, doors, and louvers. Also present in the town but less important is food production, including bakeries and meat processing. Wholesale and retail distribution across Šumperk District is another important source of income.

Cultural institutions located in Šumperk include: a cinema, Kino Oko; a theatre named Severomoravské divadlo (North Moravian Theatre); a private art gallery, run by Jiří Jílek; and a museum focused on local nature, art and history. The Šumperk Cultural Centre (Czech: Kulturní dům Šumperk) is used for balls, music, performances, meetings, and lectures, and the town's library contains 71,039 books.[3]